There’s been a lot of bad press about Microsoft’s flagship console recenyly, so I thought of doing a refcheck against my gaming style on consoles and see if I were handed a One tomorrow, would it be good or bad.

I play on controller, buy used games, sometimes trade back bad games but generally hang onto the good ones, and use the console for the high-end graphics, fast start and non-dependency on other systems (I have a PC that used to break down a lot before), I’m the only gamer and have a big TV in a small room. I look for intelligence and narrative in my games, but also a lot of the visual wow.

1. All my games are PS3 / PC. So I would have to buy all new games. But given I’m changing consoles, that’s probably fine – I’m ready for it.

2. I can’t buy used games. That’s a big problem – I generally wait for the reviews and buy well after release, usually from the replay sections. Now, I’m looking at spending close to 3K on average per game. Not really affordable – especially when I have a near-top-end gaming rig, where the new games are around a third of the cost.

3. Always-online (or at least once every 24 hours) – My internet connection is slow and sometimes unreliable. The speeds are usually decent late night – and a console means gaming from home, which usually will be always online. Not a very big dealbreaker, but there have been times (especially when moving) where home internet has been spotty and unusable for weeks. I don’t think I can use a wifi hotspot either – is it cable or router connection only?

4. Always-on Kinect: The console’s not in my bedroom or bathroom, but I am concerned about the security, since, if hacked, it effectively gives a clear indicator when I’m not home. The console’s in the living room, so no worries about porn or flashing the Kinect family.

5. Kinect: I’m not a major motion-games player; the room’s just too small, so I’ve always been more comfortable with the controllers.

6. Alternate systems: I’m probably not going to be giving up the current PS3, but my TV does have 2 more HDMI slots free, and I just disposed of my DVD player so I have enough storage space.

So on balance, there’s nothing dramatically new the One is delivering that makes it a compelling buy, and several okay reasons not to buy – privacy, cost of games, connectivity.

So, what are the alternatives?

a. I stick to the PS3. I’m pretty sure there’s enough games that are going to continue to be made for a while – just too many people own these rigs.
b. The PC. I already have it hooked to the TV with a wireless keyboard / mouse / gamepad combo; it’s running enough high-end hardware to nearly match the PS3. One major upgrade later, I’ll be sorted for years.
c. The Valve Steam box. All the PC goodness without the console issues, if you’re okay with Steam. I’d obviously have to have a much better network, but that’s something a few years in the future.

What can change this? If Microsoft comes out with absolutely AMAZING, kick-ass, unreplicable, exclusive games. A LOT of them. Not too sure how likely this is, and they will anyway be for PC as well. Oculus Rift is likely to be coming for PC first, and so will Kinect. And PCs WILL always have more customizability, control, hacks, mods, downloads, DLCs, and all the bells and whistles you could ever want. The only place where consoles had been able to beat them before – and the real reason I bought a console to begin with – was quality of display and hassle-free setup and use. All that changes with the new-generation consoles.

Long story short, time to start drawing up the specs for the next PC upgrade.